A giant hole was cut in the center of Youngkin's presidential ambitions. He glazed the airwaves with calls to shelf Democratic control of the Virginia State Senate, and to retain GOP control of the State Assembly.
It was not a sweet night for the governor. While the Democrats were cooking like Jelly Roll Morton, Youngkin just got rolled. With his prestige on the line, Youngkin lost both chambers. The promised sugar coated political compromise of a 15 week abortion ban was just empty calories.
President Biden trails Trump in 5 of the key six battleground states in the recent New York Times/ Siena Poll. Democrats are moistening their mattress pads. The Biden strategy of only running positive ads against a vulnerable opponent increases the flow.
Understandably, Biden wants to take credit for record job growth. With the narrowest of legislative margins in the House and Senate he passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the first gun reform in 30 years. His inflation reduction act combats climate change and prescription drug prices.
But although inflation is moderating, and is slightly lower than that in France, Canada and Germany, Biden is crushed by the crazy 8s. Americans are paying 8 dollars for a pound of bacon or a Big Mac, and the high interest rate inflation cure, saddles home buyers with an 8 per cent mortgage.
But if ever there was a dope, ready to be roped, it is the former president. That is the plan. Biden does not want to fire until he sees the whites of his thighs. Biden wants no obstacles to Trump's nomination.
As early as the GOP convention the attacks will be withering. Trump's criminal difficulties provide fodder, but the true vulnerability is that he was held liable for sexual assault. More women vote than men. The ads will be devastating. Once this is a choice election, Trump will be toasted, dry.
Halloween is the time for phony fears. Houses are covered with spiders and skeletons. But this year the GOP lead House is the cause for true terror.
Newly elected House Speaker, Mike Johnson, is an election denier, homophobic, and supports criminalizing abortions even in the cases of incest, rape, and the life of the mother. The GOP is a MAGA mess.
I recently returned from Detroit. Some areas resemble war zones with boarded up, and even burnt out. homes. Storefront churches and liquor stores compete in equal number for souls. Yet few are without shelter.
One reason is that rent and home prices are a fraction of the cost of living in most of California. Certainly in California we have those who through a combination of physical, mental and or substance impairments are unable to secure, or sometimes, even seek housing. That will be a continuing and costly problem.
But we also have the soft core homeless. People able work at least part time, but lacking the income to secure shelter or the resources to move to a lower cost state. By far the most cost effective way to help this group is, on a solely voluntary basis, pay for relocation. Moving costs and six months rent paid by the state would be far cheaper than building or buying housing. Given this slight boost, many could again be self sufficient.
The GOP is no longer a conservative party. Flame throwing nihilists threaten to burn the House of Representatives down. But there are still a few hold over institutionalists. They are blocking Jordan.
Time for the Democrats to nominate one of those stable 22 in the spirit of bipartisanship, for the good of the nation. They need not require any concessions, only rational leadership. In the face of such a gesture the GOP would look like anti-American fools if they could not find 5 votes to reach the magic 217.
Which ever way the Republicans go, the Democrats score a PR coup.
